Don’t Let Stains Haunt You After Halloween

Halloween is full of festivities and fun. We fill our days with pumpkin patches and carnivals and our nights with scary movie marathons, parties, and ultimately trick-or-treating. It is highly likely that one of these Halloween celebrations may leave you with a few stains on your carpet. From sticky candy to oily makeup we can help you get them out so they won’t be haunting you long after Halloween is over.

Candy

If you find sticky bright colored treats adhered to your carpet we have a solution.

First, begin with a blunt object and gently scrape the candy or large solid pieces from the carpet surface. You can use a spoon or the dull side of a butter knife.

Next mix up a solution of hand dishwashing soap and water. Use a clean white cloth to gently blot the sticky stained area.

Continue to blot using clean areas of the white cloth until the stain is lifted.

Once the stain is gone rinse the cleaning solution from the carpet with clean clear water and a new cloth.

When all cleaning solution is rinsed from the carpet place a clean dry towel on the area and weight it down with something heavy to remove as much moisture as possible from the carpet.

Chocolate

Yes, chocolate is candy, but unlike the fruity and bright colored, maybe even gummy stuff, chocolate can be harsher on your carpet. Removing chocolate stains from your carpet begins in the same way as removing other candy.

Begin with a blunt scraping object such as a spoon or dull edge of a knife and remove the solid pieces.

Mix up a solution of one tablespoon of ammonia and 1/2 cup of water. Blot the ammonia solution on the stain to neutralize it and follow up with a mixture of hand dishwashing detergent and water. Make sure to blot the stain and work from the outside toward the center to avoid spreading the stain.

After the stain is removed rinse all cleaning solution from the carpet with clear clean water.

Once the carpet is rinsed clean, apply a dry towel to the area to soak up any extra moisture.

Costume Makeup

So many costumes are put over the top with a bit of stage makeup. Come time to take off the alter ego and climb into bed you may find makeup altering the color of your carpet.

Start makeup removal by removing any and all excess from the surface.

Gently blot the makeup with a cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Note: be very careful with alcohol on your carpet do not allow it to get down into the backing. The alcohol could ruin the latex bond.

Follow the alcohol with hand dishwashing soap and water until all of the stain and alcohol are washed from the carpet.

Rinse all cleaning solution from the carpet with clean water. Follow with a dry towel to remove excess moisture.

The best way to ensure a stain lifts from your carpet is to clean it as soon as you see it and always gently blot. If you find that a stain is not lifting from your carpet just give a professional carpet cleaner a call, they may be able to help.